Work downtown - Need suggestions for nice areas to live (Phoenix: condos, crime)

[clevername7]

I already live in the Phoenix area, but only know the area around the ASU campus because I was a student. Now I want to buy a condo or townhome ($250,000 or less) and I work downtown. I'd like to be somewhere between the downtown area and the nightlife in Old Town Scottsdale and Mill Avenue. Don't want to drive more than 30 minutes to work. Any suggestions for nice areas (paying particular attention to crime) where I could get something fairly nice for the price I can pay? I would really appreciate the help.

[SpeedyAZ]

I already live in the Phoenix area, but only know the area around the ASU campus because I was a student. Now I want to buy a condo or townhome ($250,000 or less) and I work downtown. I'd like to be somewhere between the downtown area and the nightlife in Old Town Scottsdale and Mill Avenue. Don't want to drive more than 30 minutes to work. Any suggestions for nice areas (paying particular attention to crime) where I could get something fairly nice for the price I can pay? I would really appreciate the help.

I would look in C. Scottsdale. There are some beautiful condos for $200,000-$300,000. The crime is significantly lower than S. Scottsdale and other areas of the Valley. You should look in McCormick Ranch, I've seen some great 1200 sq ft townhomes going for around $250,000 and one was even near the water.

[Bungle]

I work downtown as well (Arizona Center) and live near South Mountain in one of the newly re-developed areas. My drive to work is about 15 minutes (10 minutes with little traffic) and it doesn't take much longer than that to get to old town or Mill Ave. I hike and mountain bike a lot so its a perfect centralized area if you enjoy doing a little bit of everything.

[a1m1700]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

I would look in C. Scottsdale. There are some beautiful condos for $200,000-$300,000. The crime is significantly lower than S. Scottsdale and other areas of the Valley. You should look in McCormick Ranch, I've seen some great 1200 sq ft townhomes going for around $250,000 and one was even near the water.

Excuse me? Here we go again. Gilbert has lower crime than Scottsdale. Gilbert 22nd safest city, Scottsdale 88th.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by a1m1700

Excuse me? Here we go again. Gilbert has lower crime than Scottsdale. Gilbert 22nd safest city, Scottsdale 88th.

Yes but this sounds like a young, maybe single person. Doesn't Gilbert have a three-child minimum?

[Bungle]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Yes but this sounds like a young, maybe single person. Doesn't Gilbert have a three-child minimum?

That's what I gathered from the original post as well. Gilbert is a tad out of the way for someone working downtown PHX and wanting the nightlife of Scotts and Tempe. I have about 4 co-workers that live in Gilbert and have to commute to downtown PHX for work...from what I've heard it's a minimum of an hour one way everyday. I'd gladdly take a shank to the ribs by living in Scottsdale than have that drive everyday.